1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper sheet accumulator assembly for accumulating paper sheets at an accumulation station to be ready for collective dispensation of the thus accumulated paper sheets. The assembly according to the present invention is of particular utility when used in a bank note dispenser, and the following description will be given with reference to a bank note accumulator assembly embodying the present invention.
2. Prior Art
In a bank note dispenser, bank notes are supplied from a plurality of bank note stackers containing different sorts of bank notes, and passed to a bank note accumulator assembly to be accumulated to form a bundle of bank notes containing required numbers of designated sorts of bank notes. The bank notes must be accumulated in good order. One of the known bank note accumulator assemblies currently in use will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing a bank note dispenser 1 provided with a bank note accumulator assembly 2. The known bank note accumulator assembly 2 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged in the upper portion of the bank note dispenser 1, and includes paddle wheels 3 each having a plurality of paddles 4 overlapping each other. Bank notes 5 supplied by a feed device, not shown, are inserted between the paddle 4 of the paddle wheels 3. Each of the bank notes 5 is carried by the rotating paddle wheels 3 until its leading end 5a abuts against a scraper plate 6. Bank notes scraped away from the paddle wheels 3 are accumulated on a carrier plate 7.
However, in the known accumulator assembly referred to above, only the leading end portion 5a of each bank note 5 is inserted between paddles 4 of the paddle wheels 3, and the trailing end portions 5b of the bank note is left free. Upon rotation of the paddle wheels 3, the free end portion 5b moves along a substantially circular path 5c. The extension of the path 5c is considerably larger than the area enclosed by the circle drawn by the rotating free ends of the paddles 4. Some other devices, for example a sensor for detecting the bank notes, cannot be arranged within the extension of the circular path 5c since it would hinder the travel of the free ends 5b of the bank notes 5. Moreover, the circular path 5c described by the free end 5b of each bank note 5 is varied to enlarge the area of vacant space necessary for providing a region for accommodating the traveling free ends 5b of the bank notes 5. Provision of vacant space in the vicinity of the paddle wheels 3 inevitably increases the dimensions of the bank note accumulator assembly 2, resulting in an increase in the dimensions of the bank note dispenser 1.